Rope haulage system for collieries and the like



Aug. 11, 1925. 1,549,447

F. M. CASTLEMAN ROPE HA'JLAGE SYSTEM FOR COLLIERIES AND THE LiKE' Fil Oct. 9, 1922 2 'Sheets-Sheet. l

lNVENTOR.

.BY A

#t ATTORNEY Aug. 11, 1925.

ROPE HAULAGE SYSTEM FOR CLLIERIES AND THE LIKE ined Wut. 5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 vll.

Patented Aug. 11, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK M. CASTLEMAN, OF ROTI-IERHAM, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSYALE, PENNSYL- VANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ROPE HA'ULAGE SYSTEM FOR COLLIERIES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed October 9, 1922. Serial No. 593,240.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FRANK MASTERS CAS- 'rLinL-xN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Rotherham, in the county of Yorkshire, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rope Haulage Systems for Collieries and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rope haulage systems for collieries and the like of the kind in which the tubs, trucks, or other vehicles to be propelled are arranged to be connected to a haulage rope adapted to be moved in either direction or to remain stationary as desired, and has for its object to provide improved arrangements for the control of the engine driving the haulage rope from any desired point in the system.

According to the present invention the haulage engine is arranged continuously to drive a suitable shaft provided with two haulage drums loosely mounted thereon, a clutch mechanism being provided, adapted to couple either drum mechanically to the shaft or to release both drums therefrom, the drums being provided with braking mechanism which together with the clutch mechanism is operated by fluid pressure actuated devices provided with electrical control mechanism.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatieally in the accompanying drawings, of which- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an arrangement of haulage mechanism embodying one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of the braking mechanism employed in the arrangement of Fig. 1

Fig. 8 shows diagrammatically the arrangements for supplying fluid under pressure to the various elements of the mechanism of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 showing a system of electrical connections which may be employed for the control of the electro-magnetically operated valves.

Referring now to the drawings, the haulage rope (not shown) extends over the section of vehicle track throughout Which haulage is required, the rope passing round a suitable drum or pulley at one end of the track, so that the two ends of the rope are adjacent to one another at the opposite end in the usual manner. These ends of the haulage rope are secured respectively to drums 1, 2, loosely mounted on a shaft 3 adapted to be continuously driven in a constant direction by means of an electric motor or other suitable source of power, a driving pulley 4 being shown as provided for this purpose. The haulage drums 1, 2 are arranged side by side with one another on the shaft 3 and a suitable double clutch mechanism 5 is provided intermediate the drums 1, 2, adapted to lock one or other of the drums 1, 2, as desired to the shaft 3 or to release both drums therefrom.

The clutch mechanism is preferably so arranged that when the operative element of the clutch is in its central position both the drums 1 and 2 are released from the shaft 3, whereas by moving this element axially along the shaft 3 in one direction or the other the corresponding drum is locked to the shaft and rotates therewith. The movement of the operative element of the clutch mechanism 5 as above described is arranged to be effected by a iiuid pressure actuated and electrically controlled mechanism 6, the electric controlling circuits for this mechanism extending to the desired point or points from which control of the haulage is to be effected.

Each of the haulage drums 1, 2 is provided with two braking mechanisms indicated respectively at 7, 8, and 9, 10, and preferably comprising brake blocks of any suitable form adapted to act upon brake drums or flanges 11, 12 mounted upon or forming part of the haulage drums 1, 2, themselves. The braking mechanism 7 of the drum 1 and the braking mechanism 9 of the drum 2 are each adapted to exert a relatively slight braking action on the drum when the latter is released from the shaft 3 by the clutch mechanism 5 above referred to, thus ensuring that the haulage rope is maintained taut while being unwound from the one drum and wound upon the other drum when the latter is clutched to the shaft 3.

The other braking mechanisms 3, 10 are each adapted to prevent the rotation of both the drums 1, 2 when the clutch mechanismL 5 is in its inoperative position, so that neither drum is being driven from the shaft The kseveral braking mechanisms may each be of the general construction shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2, the brake blocks 13 being arranged, for instance, to be applied by means of a weight 14 acting through suitable mechanisms including lever 10a, and to be released by a fluid pressure actuated mechanism which is electrically controlled.

A preferred arrangement of the various braking mechanisms is shown in Fig.

The braking mechanisms 8, 10 for the drums 1 and 2 respectively are each provided with a pair of fluid pressure actuated mechanisms 15, 16, and 17, 18 for effecting the release of the brakes, this being effected in the case of the drum 1 by the supply of fluid under pressure to either of the mechanisms 15 or 16 thus moving lever 8a upwardly and in the case of the drum 2 by the supply of fluid under pressure to either of the mechanisms 17 or 18 thus moving lever 10IDL upwardly.

The other braking mechanisms 7, 9 for the drums 1, 2 are each provided with a single fluid pressure actuated mechanism indicated at 19, 2O respectively.

The electrically controlled clutch mechanism 6 is indicated as comprising two fluid pressure actuated devices 21, 22. The supply of fluid under pressure to the devices 21, 22 and to the mechanisms 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 2() is controlled by electro-magnetically operated valves 23, 24 in the following manner.

When it is desired to wind the haulage rope on to the drum 1 and to unwind it from the drum 2, the electro-magnetically operated valve 23 is energized and fluid under pressure is supplied from a suitable source not shown in the drawing, through pipe 40 to the device 21, thereby operating the clutch mechanism 5 to couple the drum 1 to the constantly rotating shaft 3. It will be seen from Fig. 3 that fluid under pressure is also supplied from pipe 40 through the valve 23 to the braking mechanisms 15, 19 and 17 by means of pipe 41, so that the brakes on the drum 1 are entirely released and the drum 2 is only subject to the relatively light braking due to the braking mechanism 20 which serves to keep the 'haulage rope taut while being unwound from the drum 2.

If now it be desired to unwind the haulage rope from the drum 1 and to wind it upon the drum 2, the electro-magnetically actuated valve 24 is energized, whereupon fluid under pressure is supplied from pipe 40 not only to the device 22 of the clutch mechanism 5 but also to the braking mechanisms 16, 18, and 20 by means of pipe 42 so that the drum 2 is coupled to the shaft 3 and the brakes on this drum are all released, the other drum 1 being subjected to the light braking action of the mechanism 19.

When the valves 23 and 24 are both deenergized all the braking mechanisms on both the drums 1, 2 are applied, the drums being both disconnected from the shaft 3, so that the haulage rope is held stationary.

Referring now to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the electro-magnetically operated valves 23, 24 are arranged to be supplied with energizing current from a three-wire system of conductors 25, 26, 27, extending along the trackway, the middle conductor 26 being connected to a battery 28 or other suitable source of electric current and the outer conductors 25, 27 being connected to the energizing windings of the valves 23, 24 as shown. By establishing electrical connection between the conductors 25 and 26 or 26 and 27 the valves 23 or 24 can be energized as will be evident without further explanation. This can be effected by means of suitable switches at the point of control by suitably short-circuiting the uninsulated circuit conductors at any convenient point in their length by means of a conducting bar or other device carried by the operator.

It will be understood that the general arrangements for supplying fluid pressure to the various mechanisms as well as the arrangement of the control circuit conductors for these mechanisms may take any desired form dependent upon the particular conditions to be met and in these and other respects the arrangements above described may be considerably varied without exceeding the scope of the invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. In combination, a constantly rotating shaft, two independent haulage drums mounted on said shaft but free therefrom, means for coupling said shaft with either of said drums, two sets of braking mechanism for each drum and fluid pressure responsive means for each drum for actuating both sets of the associated braking mechanism when the corresponding drum is uncoupled from the shaft but for actuating one only of the sets of associated braking mechanism when such drum is coupled with the shaft.

2. ln combination, a rotatable shaft, two independent haulage drums, two fluid pressure actuated devices each arranged when supplied with fluid pressure to couple one ot said drums with said shaft, two sets of braking mechanism for each drum normally tending to prevent rotation of such drums, a fluid pressure motor device for each set of braking mechanism arranged when supplied with Huid pressure to release the associated braking apparatus, and two electro-responsive devices each arranged to control one said iuid pressure actuating device and two said fluid pressure motor devices one associated With each said drum.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRANK M. CASTLEMAN. 

